Aug 19, 2022 Movies Alatriste by Agustín Díaz Yanes (Review) Proof yet again that even the biggest budget can’t save a film if it’s lacking a solid storyline and well-developed characters.
Aug 16, 2022 Movies Hana by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Review) A break from the usual samurai movie tropes, Hana is warm, lively, deeply human, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and intensely enjoyable.
Oct 17, 2018 Best of Opus Literature Howard Pyle’s Men of Iron: A Fanciful Coming of Age Story in the Middle Ages (Review) A rousing, strongly principled adventure story that I would’ve loved to read back in 5th grade (but I still enjoyed it as an adult).
May 29, 2006 Movies The New World by Terrence Malick (Review) One of the best and finest things about The New World is that it is no simple black and white story.
May 3, 2006 Anime Samurai 7, Volume 1 by Toshifumi Takizawa (Review) This first volume just doesn’t quite realize Samurai 7’s amazing amount of potential.
May 30, 2005 Movies The Hidden Blade by Yôji Yamada (Review) A beautiful, nostalgic samurai film that often feels like a retread of The Twilight Samurai… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
May 22, 2004 Movies A Man for All Seasons by Fred Zinnemann (Review) More finally confronting his accusers in the courtroom is as great a final showdown as you’ll ever see.
Jan 31, 2004 Movies The Twilight Samurai by Yôji Yamada (Review) As a result of its small, intimate, and unassuming approach, The Twilight Samurai is simply a masterpiece.
Dec 13, 2003 Movies The Last Samurai by Edward Zwick (Review) My greatest hope for The Last Samurai is that encourages people to seek out the real thing.
Sep 16, 2003 Movies Harakiri by Masaki Kobayashi (Review) This may not be as famous as Kurosawa and Mifune’s samurai pictures, but it’s a great one nonetheless.
Mar 21, 2003 Movies The Atomic Cafe by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, Pierce Rafferty (Review) It’s a wonder we ever survived the Cold War.
Mar 17, 2003 Movies Zhang Yimou’s Hero Is One of the Greatest Martial Arts Films I’ve Ever Seen (Review) Zhang Yimou’s entry into the wuxia genre is majestic, stirring, and beautiful. Oh, and it features some kick-ass action sequences, too.
Sep 9, 2002 Movies Musa by Kim Sung-Su (Review) As a martial arts epic, Musa has it all: beautiful cinematography, solid performances, thrilling action, and a moving storyline.
Feb 23, 2002 Movies Brotherhood of the Wolf by Christophe Gans (Review) On its surface, “Brotherhood of the Wolf” should not work.